Sniffer dogs(嗅探犬) may lose their jobs. Detectors(探測器) that can identify(確認) people by smell may replace them in the near future.
    The Pentagon(五角大樓，美國國防部辦公大樓) in the US wants to create a detector that could identify people by their unique odour(獨特的氣味). It's offering US$3.2 million next year to find out if it's possible.
    Researchers have shown that mice release a urinary(尿液的) odour that is genetically(遺傳地) unique, the Pentagon said. So if it's possible to detect an individual(單獨的) mouse, why not a human by the smell of his or her urine or sweat?
    If scientists can prove that it works within two and a half years, the Pentagon wants to build a model within six years, spokeswoman Jan Walker said.
    Usually, when researchers and police want to identify DNA, they need to take samples(樣品) from the human body into lab.
    However, such a detector would allow researchers or police to measure and collect characteristic(特征) of the human body without urine or skin tests, Walker said.
    Some scientists warn that such a detector—if it were ever built—might be confused by many changing odours that people give off.
    "It would be like trying to detect an individual's fingerprints through a pair of gloves," said Steven Aftergood, one of the scientists.
    The smeller isn't Pentagon's first attempt at a man-made nose. They worked on sensors(感應器) to detect the TNT(黃色炸藥) in buried land mines without risking the lives of sniffer dogs. (306詞)